The Ministry of Health plans to launch a new project funded from European Union (EU) funds to attract medical practitioners to jobs in the state-paid health services sector, particularly hospitals and GPs' practices.
This support measure is a continuation of projects previously implemented, known as “doctors to the countryside” and “nurses in Riga”, where a total of 1,792 medical practitioners are attached to the provision of state-paid healthcare services.
The government today, August 15, supported the draft Cabinet rules *, which will allow the project to be launched and aid implemented in the near future. The total financing of the project is €6 690 300, including €5 686 755 from the European Social Fund Plus and €1 003 545 from the national budget. In the period until 31 December 2029 or the end of the project, it is planned to attract more than 450 specialists to medical establishments until the acquisition of available funding.
In order to qualify for one-off financial support, medical practitioners will have to comply with a number of conditions and, when they receive, work in the public sector for a certain period of 3 years.
Cash compensation will be received if the applicant has not worked in advance (not earlier than 12 months prior to the submission of the refund application) at a medical treatment institution in Latvia in the field of state-paid healthcare services. This condition is intended to attract young doctors as well as those who are not currently in the profession and the return of reemigrants to the sector.
Certain specialities will be eligible for compensation: a certified doctor, including a family doctor, and a certified dentist; a nurse, a certified physician assistant, a certified midwife, a certified physiotherapist, a certified ergotherapist, a certified dental hygienist, a certified audiologopic and a certified art therapist; a nursing assistant, a dentist assistant; one-off the compensation is intended for a retirement-age family doctor who transfers his family doctor's practice and helps to start a job for the young family doctor.
In order to meet the needs of citizens and healthcare systems in many EU countries, but in Latvia in particular, it is a major challenge to attract and retain health workers in the required number, geographical location and skills. These problems are becoming more acute as demand for health services grows, while the health-care workforce is shrinking, with many workers reaching retirement age.
The funding of EU funds for attracting medical practitioners provides a solution to the problem of human resources development in the field of health, ensuring that the share of employed medical practitioners for the provision of state-paid health services is increased, as well as a balanced replacement of generations of medical practitioners. This will improve access to the necessary medical practitioners, particularly in assisted areas and professions of the health sector.
Within the framework of the project, a Human Resources Plan will be developed, ensuring that they are linked to national planning documents, including a policy planning document on health development and an evaluation by the World Bank.
The project will be selected and evaluated at the end of 2023, while
applicants' applications for aid are scheduled to start to be accepted in the first quarter of 2024.
* Objective 4.1.2 of the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021-2027: “Improving equal and timely access to quality, sustainable and cost-effective health services, health promotion and disease prevention services, improving the efficiency and resilience of health systems” measure 4.1.2.5. implementing rules for the work of a health person in the public paid healthcare services sector, in particular in hospitals
